5 Redskins players whose roles could be altered by the NFL Draft
By Ian Cummings
No. 2 – Redskins OLB Ryan Anderson
One of the bigger holes on the Redskins roster resides at edge rusher. Opposite Ryan Kerrigan, it’s unclear how the Redskins will proceed.
2017 second-round pick Ryan Anderson appears to be next in line to get a starting opportunity, and he did show some promise in spot duty last year. Per Pro Football Focus, Anderson logged 11 pressures on 91 pass rush snaps, good for a pass rush productivity rating of just over 12 percent.
Anderson’s pass rush productivity rating lingers near the numbers of some league starters, but with such a small sample size, the team might be hesitant to rely on those numbers. It’s known that while Anderson provides hustle and fortitude as a run defender, he does have some athletic limitations that could hinder his ability as a starter.
If the Redskins capitalize on a top-heavy edge class and grab an edge rusher in Round 1 or Round 2, then they will have confirmed what many believed about Anderson: that he isn’t yet ready to take on a starting role. And he might never be more than a rotational edge defender.